Mike Keenan lined up to take the
faceoff at 7 p.m. last Saturday night at Brown's Meehan Auditorium knowing full
well he wouldn't win. All the eyes in the rink at that moment were focused on
the South Weymouth, Mass., native at center ice.

A
defenseman, Keenan is not accustomed to lining up to take the draw at center
ice. Across from him was Brown's defenseman Dennis Robertson, another player
used to a different view of the puck drop.

As the puck
hit the ice, Keenan's stick remained steady, not moving to try and win it back
to a teammate. Instead, Robertson slowly and with a sense of purpose extended
his stick and pulled the puck back, reached down and picked it up with his hand
and passed it off to Brown's new President on hand for the ceremonial faceoff.

The
visiting player that night, losing the draw was a predetermined conclusion for
Keenan. Such is the role of a team's captain.

Just the
sixth player in Dartmouth men's hockey 107-year history to wear the captain's
'C' over two seasons, Keenan has clearly established himself as a true leader.

His
selection of captain as a junior through a voting process by his teammates and
peers speaks highly enough of his character and standing in the locker room.
However, when taking into account that the Big Green had a 10-member senior
class in 2011-12 says even more about his selection.

"It's a
real honor. We had 10 seniors and to be captain last year was a big honor for
me personally," Keenan said. "Those guys, the class above me, made it really
easy for me to take on that role. There was never any push back; they were
incredibly supportive."

Knowing
that you will be the team's leader well in advance made for early connections
with new players coming into the fold that will make up more than a third of
the upcoming roster.

"I made sure I called all the
freshmen before they got here to check in and see how they were doing," he
remarked about his 10 newest teammates. "You want to know that they're keeping
up with offseason stuff to be ready. I also wanted to let them know I could help
if they had any questions because I understood this period can be an
overwhelming one for young guys."

It's more
than his unquestioned leadership skills on and off the ice that make Keenan a
valuable asset to this team. His steady, workman-like play in games doesn't go
unnoticed, even if he lacks the point totals of some of his ECAC Hockey
defensive counterparts.

A solid
player in his own end, Keenan has become a top penalty killer and can jump up
in the play to contribute to the talented forwards' effort in the offensive
zone.

That work
ethic on the ice may come from an unmatched desire to play. Keenan missed much
of his freshman season with an injury, playing just seven games. Since coming
back, the Catholic Memorial product has not missed any of the team's 69 regular
season and postseason contests.

"Our class
has been hampered with so many injuries since getting here. Dustin (Walsh) last
year, Mark (Goggin) was out two years ago, Jason (Bourgea) breaking his hand
and myself a few years back. We feel a sense of urgency with this being our
last go-around because there is no next year for us."

Two games
into his final year in a Dartmouth uniform and his team with an early Ivy
Shootout title under its belt, Keenan is feeling good about 2012-13, regardless
of what the pundits said during the preseason.

"There's a level of excitement in
the locker room this year already that I haven't seen in the past. We're a
young team, and no one knows what to expect. We're such a tight league that no
one really can know what's going to happen.

"We don't put a whole lot of stock
in looking at where we're picked by people who've seen us twice in a year. We
just put our heads down and go to work."